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Li Edelkoort:Trend Union

Today my program and I attended the lecture by the trend forecaster Li Edelkoort at Politecnico di Como. Lago di Como is only a forty-five minute train ride from Milano.

T

o be able to see Ms.Edelkoort speak about trends in general is a great opportunity, and this was my second time. I am beyond lucky.

She is practically the “guru” of trends, like the chosen one for it in the field of design. She is highly respected and listened to. Her company “Trend Union” has worked with all different types of companies, ranging from cosmetics to Coca-Cola. Season after season she has influenced not only the fashion world, but also the world of industrial design, packaging, etc.

She opened up the lecture with a review from last year’s lecture, which is not really last year seeing as trends are forecasted two years in advance, therefore 2013. I had been to this specific lecture last year. During the review, she spoke about which designers had applied these trends during fashion week. The trends included lots of light colors, pastels and the idea of the “gift of light”. To see a trend actually applied to a garment is interesting and enlightening, it shows the magic of her work put into realistic situations. She also emphasized that trends are not about personal taste, what you and I prefer, but they are based upon what is to come in the near future.

For 2014 she focused mainly on “nomadism”, which is the idea that as humans we are beginning to live in a nomadic lifestyle. We have the desire to go on the road and continue our lives in this manner. We are now free; we all have access to Wi-Fi and Internet. We can work from the desert, the countryside, our bed; no one will know the difference. The office is no longer a necessity.

The concept that we are now “free” will signify that we would like to gain even more freedom in the future. She applied this to the concept of not having an actual bed, substituting it for possibly choosing to sleep in the garden or guestroom.The need to constantly travel, see other cultures and have constant movement in our lives. I agreed with her opening statements about this nomadic lifestyle, we are constantly on the move with all of our gadgets. She also publishes a magazine titled, “Bloom” which follows the changing trends in flowers, I find it really inspiring. Here are some images from the site..

Here is the link to explore the world of Ms. Edelkoort a bit more in depth..